‘Good man, Jack! Sit yourself down,’ said Branagan. He could hardly hide his delight at the thought of Jack being sent 200 miles away.
Reaching across the desk, he grabbed a document. ‘Technology, eh?’ His smile was luminous, ‘The contract was emailed through a few minutes ago. I’ve been advised to ask that you take it home and read it inside out and upside down. So, here it is, Jack.’
Branagan handed the document to him. ‘Look through it and make notes on anything that catches your attention and that you might want to talk about. Tomorrow Curtis Warren himself is travelling up from London. He wants to have a meeting with you.’
In theory, Curtis Warren, the company’s big boss, had already given his approval of Jack, whose reputation went before him, as an accomplished and trusted employee, having been awarded ‘Employee of the Year’ status, two years running.
Jack was not surprised to be told of the big chief’s arrival. He had worked with the man some years back, and knew how thorough he was. He told Branagan, ‘I’ll have my queries ready for the morning – if there are any.’
‘There are bound to be niggles,’ the other man said. ‘But I’m sure you won’t let a few lines on a page stop you from grabbing the best opportunity you’re ever likely to get.’
Annoyed by the other man’s arrogance, Jack replied coldly, ‘I don’t accept that this is “the best opportunity I’m ever likely to get”, but you can rest assured I’ll read every word and make notes as warranted. I won’t deny, I would like this position. But when all is said and done, I mustn’t be too hasty. I mean, I’d be a fool to jump out of the frying-pan into the fire, don’t you think?’
His mind was already made up, but he didn’t want to give the other man the idea that it was all a done deal. He wanted him to sweat on it until the morning. He wanted him to believe that he could take the job or leave it – that he wasn’t all that bothered either way.
A few moments later Jack left the building, the contract secure in his grasp, while Branagan remained, pacing his office in a fret, saying, ‘Arrogant bastard! One way or another, I’ll be rid of you, Jack Redmond! You see if I don’t!’
He had no way of knowing that Jack was as determined to sign the contract as he was determined to be rid of him.
That evening, when Jack dropped the bombshell of his plans to move north, Molly was quick to show her disapproval. ‘If you do this, you do it on your own!’ she raged. ‘I want no part in it.’
Devastated that he had not thought to discuss such an important matter with her before making his decision, she told him, ‘If you want my opinion – which you obviously don’t – I believe you’re making a big mistake. But it doesn’t matter to you what I think, does it? I thought we were a couple, that we talked things over together. And what about the session at the clinic? I don’t suppose you even went, did you?’ Her voice shook with anger.
‘Yes, I did go to the clinic. In fact, it was because of what happened there that I know now I have to go back – back to the beginning, where I grew up.’
‘That’s nonsense!’ she burst out. ‘What will you be going back to? You’re not thinking straight, Jack. You’ve been gone from your hometown for too many years. What makes you think there’s anything there that can possibly explain what’s happening to you now? Oh, I get it! That’s why you’ve accepted the manager’s post up there. You tied the two together and came up with an answer to all your troubles. You’ve made what could be the biggest decision of your life, without even bothering to consult me. That tells me I’m not important enough in your life. That’s right, isn’t it, Jack?’
‘No!’ Going across the room to her, he pleaded with her to calm down and listen to what he had to say. ‘Please, Molly. Come and sit down. I’ll tell you what happened at the
Reaching across the desk, he grabbed a document. ‘Technology, eh?’ His smile was luminous, ‘The contract was emailed through a few minutes ago. I’ve been advised to ask that you take it home and read it inside out and upside down. So, here it is, Jack.’
Branagan handed the document to him. ‘Look through it and make notes on anything that catches your attention and that you might want to talk about. Tomorrow Curtis Warren himself is travelling up from London. He wants to have a meeting with you.’
In theory, Curtis Warren, the company’s big boss, had already given his approval of Jack, whose reputation went before him, as an accomplished and trusted employee, having been awarded ‘Employee of the Year’ status, two years running.
Jack was not surprised to be told of the big chief’s arrival. He had worked with the man some years back, and knew how thorough he was. He told Branagan, ‘I’ll have my queries ready for the morning – if there are any.’
‘There are bound to be niggles,’ the other man said. ‘But I’m sure you won’t let a few lines on a page stop you from grabbing the best opportunity you’re ever likely to get.’
Annoyed by the other man’s arrogance, Jack replied coldly, ‘I don’t accept that this is “the best opportunity I’m ever likely to get”, but you can rest assured I’ll read every word and make notes as warranted. I won’t deny, I would like this position. But when all is said and done, I mustn’t be too hasty. I mean, I’d be a fool to jump out of the frying-pan into the fire, don’t you think?’
His mind was already made up, but he didn’t want to give the other man the idea that it was all a done deal. He wanted him to sweat on it until the morning. He wanted him to believe that he could take the job or leave it – that he wasn’t all that bothered either way.
A few moments later Jack left the building, the contract secure in his grasp, while Branagan remained, pacing his office in a fret, saying, ‘Arrogant bastard! One way or another, I’ll be rid of you, Jack Redmond! You see if I don’t!’
He had no way of knowing that Jack was as determined to sign the contract as he was determined to be rid of him.
That evening, when Jack dropped the bombshell of his plans to move north, Molly was quick to show her disapproval. ‘If you do this, you do it on your own!’ she raged. ‘I want no part in it.’
Devastated that he had not thought to discuss such an important matter with her before making his decision, she told him, ‘If you want my opinion – which you obviously don’t – I believe you’re making a big mistake. But it doesn’t matter to you what I think, does it? I thought we were a couple, that we talked things over together. And what about the session at the clinic? I don’t suppose you even went, did you?’ Her voice shook with anger.
‘Yes, I did go to the clinic. In fact, it was because of what happened there that I know now I have to go back – back to the beginning, where I grew up.’
‘That’s nonsense!’ she burst out. ‘What will you be going back to? You’re not thinking straight, Jack. You’ve been gone from your hometown for too many years. What makes you think there’s anything there that can possibly explain what’s happening to you now? Oh, I get it! That’s why you’ve accepted the manager’s post up there. You tied the two together and came up with an answer to all your troubles. You’ve made what could be the biggest decision of your life, without even bothering to consult me. That tells me I’m not important enough in your life. That’s right, isn’t it, Jack?’
‘No!’ Going across the room to her, he pleaded with her to calm down and listen to what he had to say. ‘Please, Molly. Come and sit down. I’ll tell you what happened at the
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